THEA2110: Voices of Diversity in Contemporary American Drama and Theatre
Spring 2018 Instructor:
Dr. Farley Richmond
Office: Fine Arts #367
Cell Phone: 706-254-5374
My office hours are Monday at 8am and Wednesday at 3:30pm. However, it is best to make an appointment with me by email: Richmond@uga.edu That way you may make an appointment for a day and time that suits both of us.
I may be out of town briefly from time to time but generally it is possible to reach me thru email. If you must telephone me for any reason, please do not do so between the hours of 8pm and 8am seven days a week. My mobile number is 706-254-5374.
Goals:
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the rich array of drama and theatre that has been created by and for all Americans. The plays are windows into many worlds of experience as made vivid mainly, but not exclusively, through the eyes of women playwrights. We are using a packet of essays and plays available from Bel-Jean Printing in Athens, Georgia. Besides the packet you must purchase several plays on your own, as indicated below. Among the subjects we will examine are the language of expression, the characters, the themes that arise out of the works, the importance of design to the creation of the worlds of each of the plays onstage, and the multiple and complex foci on diversity.
Required Texts and Video Material:
The Bel-Jean Printing Packet for this course contains articles on diversity, ethnic theatre in America and the following plays: Wedding Band, Execution of Justice, Split Second, and Yankee Dawg You Die. If you are on campus please go to their shop at 163 E. Broad Street; Athens, GA 30601 and purchase the packet. It costs a little less than $30. Obviously, there are no shipping charges if you purchase the packet at the store. If you want to purchase the packet and pay for it with a credit card and have it mailed to you please telephone Haven Luke who is the campus representative. Telephone 706-548-3648 to place an order. You may also email him at campusrep@bel-jean.com
Among the other plays we will read are the following:
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Please download a pdf copy of the play from the Download section of the wiki.
Aoki, Brenda Wong. The Queen’s Garden is also available in the Downloads section of the wiki.
Highway, Tompson. Rez Sisters. (Type Rez Sisters in the search engine of Amazon and various priced versions of the play will be indicated some as little as a penny plus shipping). More expensive versions may be obtained in collections of various kinds. Check the wiki downloads page also.
I have requested the university bookstore to order the following plays that will be read this semester:
Smith, Anna Deavere. Fires in the Mirror. NY: Dramatist Play Service. Amazon Paperback $9.00; Kindle $11.99; Library Binding $16.55, etc.
Lopez, Josephina. Real Women Have Curves. Amazon Paperback $8.95, as well as other options.
Ayad Akhtar. Disgraced. Play available from Amazon Kindle $9.99 or various other prices and options.
Kramer, Larry. The Normal Heart.
Vogel, Paula. How I Learned to Drive.
Hwang, David Henry. Yellow Face.
Valdez, Louis. Zoot Suit. Apparently, Amazon has copies from $8.95. Also you may wish to purchase a DVD of the film sold by Amazon for $19.30. Different options to rent or buy from $3.99 to $13.99.
The Media Center in the basement of the University Library has the following materials for your use:
A DVD and a videotape of Zoot Suit, the professionally made film adapted from the stage play. Selections from the play are also available on a audio CD of The Queen's Garden. There is a DVD of Fires in the Mirror, the TV version of the stage play. There is a DVD of the recent HBO version of The Normal Heart. And finally with reference to BFE, you need to purchase a ticket for the play and see the production at Sceney Stoval Chapel. (We are not considering Execution of Justice because you need to see the production.)
Approximate cost for all the reading and media: About $100.
Methods:
You will post most of your work on 2110voices.wikispaces.com. You must join this website in order to participate in the class.
Besides the classroom discussions and activities you may work independently on the wiki but you occasionally collaborate with your peers in the course to answer some of the questions either in the Projects section or on Discussion pages. At times you submit your replies directly to the instructor in class.
Attendance Policy:
Given the fact that you will be working together in teams from time to time, you are obliged to attend class. Not doing so will adversely impact your final grade in the course.
Participation Policy:
Note that you have access to all the materials in the course and may want to do work in advance of when assignments are due.
Evaluation:
See the Grading Procedures Below.
Assignments Descriptions:
1. To see specific assignments for each of the plays, simply click on the play title on the wiki.
2. Thoughtful answers to questions on a worksheet for each of 13 plays are required. The particular worksheet on each play tests your ability to understand the play’s dramatic structure, characters, and particular themes as they relate to questions of diversity.
3. Often, but not always, there is a worksheet to be completed for a play to test your ability to explore the potential staging of the play and the impact that may have on its reception.
4. At the end of every week, you must post your opinions about media reports that concern diversity and inclusion and you must post a link to those reports. A maximum of 13 points may be earned for this assignment.
5. Finally, should you think it will help your chances to gain a high grade in the course, you may prepare and submit a short research paper or Powerpoint Presentation to the instructor on the following subject: Select another play by one of the authors we are reading this semester and discuss its major themes, style of composition, language, the characters and contribution to your understanding of questions of diversity, etc. The paper should be double-spaced, typed and at least five pages long. It must include a bibliography or works cited. Do not rely exclusively (or even at all) on the Internet as a source of your information. Be sure to include your name on the paper or presentation. 16 points may be earned.
Grading Procedures:
By successfully completing each of your tasks you will receive points. A Maximum of 133 points is possible, if you complete all of your assignments concerning the plays and the weekly media reports to my satisfaction. Points are awarded for each project on the following basis: 1 point is given for merely completing and submitting an assignment on time. 1 more point may be given if your answers are generally judged to be adequate. And finally, if your answers are above average one more point may be awarded. Each assignment on the plays is worth a maximum of 3 points. 1 point for each of the media reports.
In addition, if you complete the special project on a play of your choosing from one of the playwrights we are considering you may earn a maximum of 16 points.
Below is the grading scale:
120–149 points A
101–119 points B
76–100 points C
51–75 points D
Below 51 points F
You should be prepared to track your accomplishments as I will do. Periodically, I will give you a point tracking sheet so you may see the points you have earned as of that date in the course.
A special feature of this system is that once you reach 120 points you will not need to continue to submit assignments because you will have earned an A! Of course if you want to continue to earn points you may do so.
Final Note:Warning! Warning! University policy on academic dishonesty will most definitely be enforced. A person who violates this policy may be dismissed from the university, so please consult the policy connected to the ELC homepage for this course and follow it.
If you have a disability and require classroom accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss this matter.
THEA2110: Voices of Diversity in Contemporary American Drama and Theatre
Spring 2018
Instructor:
Dr. Farley Richmond
Office: Fine Arts #367
Cell Phone: 706-254-5374
My office hours are Monday at 8am and Wednesday at 3:30pm. However, it is best to make an appointment with me by email: Richmond@uga.edu That way you may make an appointment for a day and time that suits both of us.
I may be out of town briefly from time to time but generally it is possible to reach me thru email. If you must telephone me for any reason, please do not do so between the hours of 8pm and 8am seven days a week. My mobile number is 706-254-5374.
Goals:
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the rich array of drama and theatre that has been created by and for all Americans. The plays are windows into many worlds of experience as made vivid mainly, but not exclusively, through the eyes of women playwrights. We are using a packet of essays and plays available from Bel-Jean Printing in Athens, Georgia. Besides the packet you must purchase several plays on your own, as indicated below. Among the subjects we will examine are the language of expression, the characters, the themes that arise out of the works, the importance of design to the creation of the worlds of each of the plays onstage, and the multiple and complex foci on diversity.
Required Texts and Video Material:
The Bel-Jean Printing Packet for this course contains articles on diversity, ethnic theatre in America and the following plays: Wedding Band, Execution of Justice, Split Second, and Yankee Dawg You Die. If you are on campus please go to their shop at 163 E. Broad Street; Athens, GA 30601 and purchase the packet. It costs a little less than $30. Obviously, there are no shipping charges if you purchase the packet at the store. If you want to purchase the packet and pay for it with a credit card and have it mailed to you please telephone Haven Luke who is the campus representative. Telephone 706-548-3648 to place an order. You may also email him at campusrep@bel-jean.com
Among the other plays we will read are the following:
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Please download a pdf copy of the play from the Download section of the wiki.
Aoki, Brenda Wong. The Queen’s Garden is also available in the Downloads section of the wiki.
Highway, Tompson. Rez Sisters. (Type Rez Sisters in the search engine of Amazon and various priced versions of the play will be indicated some as little as a penny plus shipping). More expensive versions may be obtained in collections of various kinds. Check the wiki downloads page also.
I have requested the university bookstore to order the following plays that will be read this semester:
Smith, Anna Deavere. Fires in the Mirror. NY: Dramatist Play Service. Amazon Paperback $9.00; Kindle $11.99; Library Binding $16.55, etc.
Lopez, Josephina. Real Women Have Curves. Amazon Paperback $8.95, as well as other options.
Ayad Akhtar. Disgraced. Play available from Amazon Kindle $9.99 or various other prices and options.
Kramer, Larry. The Normal Heart.
Vogel, Paula. How I Learned to Drive.
Hwang, David Henry. Yellow Face.
Valdez, Louis. Zoot Suit. Apparently, Amazon has copies from $8.95. Also you may wish to purchase a DVD of the film sold by Amazon for $19.30. Different options to rent or buy from $3.99 to $13.99.
The Media Center in the basement of the University Library has the following materials for your use:
A DVD and a videotape of Zoot Suit, the professionally made film adapted from the stage play. Selections from the play are also available on a audio CD of The Queen's Garden. There is a DVD of Fires in the Mirror, the TV version of the stage play. There is a DVD of the recent HBO version of The Normal Heart. And finally with reference to BFE, you need to purchase a ticket for the play and see the production at Sceney Stoval Chapel. (We are not considering Execution of Justice because you need to see the production.)
Approximate cost for all the reading and media: About $100.
Methods:
You will post most of your work on 2110voices.wikispaces.com. You must join this website in order to participate in the class.
Besides the classroom discussions and activities you may work independently on the wiki but you occasionally collaborate with your peers in the course to answer some of the questions either in the Projects section or on Discussion pages. At times you submit your replies directly to the instructor in class.
Attendance Policy:
Given the fact that you will be working together in teams from time to time, you are obliged to attend class. Not doing so will adversely impact your final grade in the course.
Participation Policy:
Note that you have access to all the materials in the course and may want to do work in advance of when assignments are due.
Evaluation:
See the Grading Procedures Below.
Assignments Descriptions:
1. To see specific assignments for each of the plays, simply click on the play title on the wiki.
2. Thoughtful answers to questions on a worksheet for each of 13 plays are required. The particular worksheet on each play tests your ability to understand the play’s dramatic structure, characters, and particular themes as they relate to questions of diversity.
3. Often, but not always, there is a worksheet to be completed for a play to test your ability to explore the potential staging of the play and the impact that may have on its reception.
4. At the end of every week, you must post your opinions about media reports that concern diversity and inclusion and you must post a link to those reports. A maximum of 13 points may be earned for this assignment.
5. Finally, should you think it will help your chances to gain a high grade in the course, you may prepare and submit a short research paper or Powerpoint Presentation to the instructor on the following subject: Select another play by one of the authors we are reading this semester and discuss its major themes, style of composition, language, the characters and contribution to your understanding of questions of diversity, etc. The paper should be double-spaced, typed and at least five pages long. It must include a bibliography or works cited. Do not rely exclusively (or even at all) on the Internet as a source of your information. Be sure to include your name on the paper or presentation. 16 points may be earned.
Grading Procedures:
By successfully completing each of your tasks you will receive points. A Maximum of 133 points is possible, if you complete all of your assignments concerning the plays and the weekly media reports to my satisfaction. Points are awarded for each project on the following basis: 1 point is given for merely completing and submitting an assignment on time. 1 more point may be given if your answers are generally judged to be adequate. And finally, if your answers are above average one more point may be awarded. Each assignment on the plays is worth a maximum of 3 points. 1 point for each of the media reports.
In addition, if you complete the special project on a play of your choosing from one of the playwrights we are considering you may earn a maximum of 16 points.
Below is the grading scale:
120–149 points A
101–119 points B
76–100 points C
51–75 points D
Below 51 points F
You should be prepared to track your accomplishments as I will do. Periodically, I will give you a point tracking sheet so you may see the points you have earned as of that date in the course.
A special feature of this system is that once you reach 120 points you will not need to continue to submit assignments because you will have earned an A! Of course if you want to continue to earn points you may do so.
Final Note:Warning! Warning! University policy on academic dishonesty will most definitely be enforced. A person who violates this policy may be dismissed from the university, so please consult the policy connected to the ELC homepage for this course and follow it.
If you have a disability and require classroom accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss this matter.